HeadsUp Newsletter - Vol 4:01: January 2007

Did you know that a type of straw was first used by Sumerians as long ago as 3000 BC? Sumerians were a people who inhabited Sumer, the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia. These people are credited with being very adept inventors. They built canals and developed most effective systems of irrigation. They also invented the cuneiform system of writing. A much lesser-known invention by these amazing people was the straw! It didn’t seem to catch on though for 4000 years.

The very first manufactured drinking straw in the modern world was patented on January 2, 1888. The patent for the spiral winding process to manufacture the first paper straws was awarded to a gentleman by the name of Marvin Stone. Before his straws, people were using natural rye grass straws. In 1888, Mr. Stone was already manufacturing paper cigarette holders, but by 1890 the production of drinking straws had far surpassed the number of cigarette holders produced at his factory.

The straws produced by Stone’s "Stone Straw Corporation" were all produced laboriously by hand, following the method Stone had used in producing his prototype straw, by winding paper around a pencil and gluing it in place. Stone’s experiments with paraffin-coated manila paper produced straws which would not become soggy while someone was drinking, and subsequently fall apart. It was these straws which were being mass produced by hand until, in 1906, the first machine was invented allowing machine-wound straws to facilitate the straw making process.

The drinking straw is something which modern man takes for granted!

Fun Facts on Types of drinking straws

• The basic form of a drinking straw is straight for the whole length.
• The bendable straw has a concertina hinge near the top, which allows one section to be moved to a different angle, allowing a more comfortable drinking experience!
• The "crazy" straw is made of hard plastic and has several twists and turns at the top. When liquid is sucked through the straw, it quickly flows through the winding path, often spelling out entertaining words, creating a spectacle enjoyed especially by children.
• A spoon straw features a cut-away shape which is slightly flattened at one end. This end functions as a miniature spoon; a straw intended for slush drinks and floats.
• A miniature straw (miniature in both length and girth) often comes attached to a drink box.